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2003 Toyota Corolla

The Verdict

11 Total Klunk

The 2003 Toyota Corolla has 761 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (374 complaints) and body (180 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 11/100, it earns a "Total Klunk" rating. If you're shopping for a Toyota Corolla, consider the 2025 model year which has 96% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 96% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Toyota Corolla dashboard →

11

Klunk Score: Total Klunk

Among the most complained-about vehicle years on record. Strongly consider alternatives.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 1

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

02V074001 POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

ON PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS (VIN) STARTING WITH 1NX ONLY AND BUILT FROM JANUARY 8 THROUGH FEBRUARY 13, 2002, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BOLTS THAT JOIN THE REAR BRAKE AND ...

Risk

IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, ONE OR MORE OF THE FOUR BOLTS COULD COME LOOSE, CAUSING AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR AXLE AREA. IN THE EVENT THAT ALL FOUR BOLTS LOOSEN COMPLETELY,...

Remedy

DEALERS WILL PROPERLY TIGHTEN THE BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 21, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE F...

Reported Nov 3, 2002

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000571022587
2001431234409
2002641529328
20031802837412356
2004133142647914
20051483653415734
20061313050915542
20071734049212622
200872271656511
200957911260916933
20105301664326439
201192194053516
2012431036056
2013772366248
201490141132822
20157613762627
20167128742018
20176125681914
2018371029507
20194412267444
202098163612229
2021489643918
20222712271315
202326324135
202424101276
2025126322

By Category

Electrical
374
Body
180
Engine
123
Transmission
56
Brakes
28

By Severity

1
321
2
320
3
9
4
110
5
1

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2003 Toyota Corolla stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Body 4

Airbags did not deploy in at crash where we were hit head on and car is totaled. I do not know the rate of speed the gentleman was driving, but the speed limit in the area was 45 mph and the gentleman ran the red light and hit us as we were waiting to make a left turn. Every responder, police, wrecker, medical personnel, and tow yard remarked that the air bags should have deployed after witnessing the extensive damage. Car is currently in tow yard. Insurance has offered payout but we have not accepted as of today. I keep trying to speak with Toyota but the wait times are extensive.

21d ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact lowered the front passenger’s side window; however, while attempting to raise the window, the window failed to respond. The contact researched online and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V162000 (Visibility). The contact called a local dealer and was informed of the recall; however, the recall had been repaired in 2008, and the VIN was not eligible for a second repair. The contact called the manufacturer and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact was informed that any additional repairs would be out-of-pocket. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

4mo ago
Engine 1

Many things are happening to my truck that’s why I am contacting you people to see if I got any callback thank you so much

5mo ago
Electrical 2

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while her husband and son were driving at approximately 25 MPH, her husband smelled an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated her husband then heard several abnormal sounds like a soda can being opened. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger’s door air bags inadvertently deployed. The vehicle was stopped, and the driver and passenger exited the vehicle. The contact stated that her son’s seat belt tightened and was difficult to unbuckle. The contact stated that as soon as her husband exited the vehicle, the passenger’s side frontal air bag deployed. The contact stated that the Police and Fire Department were contacted. A Police report was filed; however, the contact had not been provided the Police report number. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

11mo ago
Electrical 2

Greeting, on June 7,2025 my Toyota Corolla was repaired at Interstate Toyota for the replacement on the airbag. I have attached documents that share the job was completed successfully. Please review and forward and email that it is verified in your system to my email address. [XXX] Warmly, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

12mo ago
Brakes 4

My mother got in the car and as soon as the car was put on drive, the car accelerated to its max potential, but when she attempted to hit the brakes they did not respond. So max acceleration, on its own, and brakes did not work. She ended up in the hospital for 9 days suffering a broken rib, front teeth missing, they had to sew her tongue back together, both cheeks shattered, broken clavicle and she has a hole right under the back of her skull. Miraculously, after she flipped to the side and took out two trees, the third tree flipped her back to right side up, and stopped the vehicle completely.

16mo ago
Body 1

My driver side Seat belt sometimes becomes unbuckled, disconnected while driving, specially when I make turns, or when I slow down my driving speed. This is very dangerous because it is putting my life at risk in case of an accident.

20mo ago
Body 2

Seat belt use to automatically unlocks in mid drive, sometimes over a speed bump, sometimes during a turn, sometimes for no reason at all. Now seat belt won't lock at all.

24mo ago
Electrical 2

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V285000 (Air Bags) however, the notification advised not to drive the vehicle and to contact the local dealer for retrieval of the vehicle. After contacting the local dealer, the vehicle had not yet been retrieved. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

27mo ago
Body 2

Driver seat belt buckle don't lock all the time and sometimes comes un-buckled while driving

33mo ago
Electrical 1

I was driving as usual and suddenly the air bags exploded inside the dash causing damage to the passenger window and the front crystal. Seconds after the drivers airbag also opened and consequently the alarms. I did not impact anything and the car won’t start again.

37mo ago
Body 1

While driving on the highway (I-75) in Michigan on April 2, 2022 the sunroof exploded for no apparent reason.

40mo ago
Electrical 1

The airbag light came on suddenly, even though I had the airbag recall work done for my vehicle. I took it to a Toyota Dealership who wanted to charge me for the repair which I was willing to and perhaps work with Toyota directly to get reimbursed for but the parts weren't available.

46mo ago
Electrical 2

I received a recall notice, scheduled an appointment and then went to Bev Smith Toyota in Fort Pierce, FL. My appointment was for 9:30 AM. I decided that as long as I was there, I would get my oil changed (normally I do not use dealer oil changes because they are expensive, but since I was there anyway...). At 11:10, I was presented the bill for the oil change and told that they refused to service the airbag. There was some garbage on the floor of the passenger side that the service manager claimed rendered my vehicle unsafe to work on. I pointed out that no one asked me to clean out the front seat when I scheduled the appointment, that the items were there at 9:30 when received the car, and that the car apparently was safe enough for them to perform an overpriced oil change. I offered to remove the items (it later took me all of 3 minutes to clear the area). The service manager refused and refused to complete the recall work. He still demanded payment for the oil change and was unwilling to compensate me for my wasted time.

48mo ago
Electrical 1

Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V741000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the recall was confirmed to be completed; however, the recall appears open for the VIN. The contact was receiving recall notices for the same recall repair. The contact called the manufacturer to inform them that the dealer had completed the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. There were no warning lights illuminated or a failure experienced. Parts distribution disconnect.

54mo ago
Engine 2

I barely bought the car and I looked at the odometer and it’s at 126,000 and I serched and it has more then 300,000 i need help

55mo ago
Electrical 4

The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while she was driving at 60 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was transported to the hospital by the emergency unit. The contact sustained a herniated disc. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received an unknown recall notification for the air bag failure and the recall repair was completed by the dealer. The contact stated she received a second and third unknown recall notification for the air bag failure and the recall repair was completed by a second dealer (Thousand Oaks Toyota 2401 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362), however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while her son was driving at 40-50 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's son sustained back injuries and sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

58mo ago
Electrical 1

My car is accelerating when my foot is off of the pedal and when in park, it is revving like I am pressing down on the gas pedal. I put it in reverse to test it to make sure I was experiencing what I just thought had happened. As soon as I put the gear in reverse, and released my foot from the break, the car spead down my driveway. I breaked, put gear in drive, and when I released my foot from the break pedal, again it sped up almost crashing into my house. When I put the car in park, the engine became louder as if I was pressing down on the gas pedal. I checked the pedals below. The rug or nothing else was near the pedal, as can happen at times. This morning I tested it out again on my way to work. It was a repeat of yesterday. The car is speeding up without me putting my foot on the drive pedal, by me simply lifting my foot of of the break. And when I park, it gets loud as if I am pressing on the gas pedal. This is very dangerous and I am afraid to drive my car until I can get it to a mechanic.

58mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V741000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED A UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

63mo ago
Body 2

I DO NOT OWN THIS VEHICLE. IT WAS TRADED IN TO ORLAND TOYOTA (ORLAND IL) WHEN I PURCHASED MY 2015 TOYOTA COROLLA ON 08/04/2018. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD THE NHRA REPRESENTATIVES BY MAIL AND BY PHONE THAT I NO LONGER OWN THIS VEHICLE. I'M SICK OF THIS. REMOVE MY NAME AND ADDRESS FROM YOUR RECORDS ASAP [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

63mo ago

761 total

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